Godstow Lock
Encyclopedia
Godstow Lock is a lock
on the River Thames
in Oxfordshire
, England
. It is between the villages of Wolvercote
and Wytham
on the outskirts of Oxford
. The first lock was built of stone by Daniel Harris
for the Thames Navigation Commission
in 1790. It is the lock furthest upstream on the river which has mechanical (electro-hydraulic) operation.
The main weir is a short way upstream but there is another weir at Godstow Bridge just above the Trout Inn. These feed into a backwater (Wolvercote Mill Stream) which has come from above King's Lock by Wolvercote.
served as a form of lock, which remained in service for some time after the construction of Godstow Lock in 1790. After the lock was constructed there were complaints about the raising of the water levels and the effect this had on the meadows upstream at Pixey Mead. After some years of dilapidation, the lock underwent major repair in 1872. River users would often avoid the lock by navigating up the stream past Wolvecote. The lock house was built around 1896 on condition that it sold no refreshments to protect the interests of The Trout Inn
. Previously the lock-keeper had lived on a houseboat. The lock was last rebuilt in 1924.
are the ruins of Godstow Nunnery. Above the lock, the river is crossed by Godstow Bridge and the A34 Road Bridge
carrying the Oxford By-pass. Upstream of Godstow the river becomes narrower and more winding as it passes Pixey Mead.
The Thames Path
continues on the western side to King's Lock.
and his daughters Lorina, Alice
and Edith. Here he made up a story
which began
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
on the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is between the villages of Wolvercote
Wolvercote
Wolvercote is a village that is part of the City of Oxford, England, though still retaining its own identity. It is about northwest of the centre of Oxford, on the northern edge of Wolvercote Common, which is itself north of Port Meadow.-History:The village is listed in the Domesday Book as...
and Wytham
Wytham
Wytham is a village and civil parish on Seacourt Stream, a branch of the River Thames, about northwest of Oxford. It is just west of the Western By-Pass Road, part of the Oxford Ring Road ....
on the outskirts of Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. The first lock was built of stone by Daniel Harris
Daniel Harris (Oxford)
Daniel Harris was a builder, prison governor, civil engineer and architect who lived and practised in Oxford.-Family:Harris's birthplace is obscure but he was born about 1761, as the entry in St-Peter-le-Bailey's register for his death in 1840 records his age as 79. He married Elizabeth Tomkins of...
for the Thames Navigation Commission
Thames Navigation Commission
The Thames Navigation Commission used to manage the River Thames in southern England. In particular, they were responsible for installing or renovating many of the locks on the river in the 18th and early 19th centuries.- History :...
in 1790. It is the lock furthest upstream on the river which has mechanical (electro-hydraulic) operation.
The main weir is a short way upstream but there is another weir at Godstow Bridge just above the Trout Inn. These feed into a backwater (Wolvercote Mill Stream) which has come from above King's Lock by Wolvercote.
History
Prior to the construction of the lock, Godstow BridgeGodstow Bridge
Godstow Bridge is a road bridge across the River Thames in England at Godstow near Oxford. The bridge is just upstream of Godstow Lock on the reach to King's Lock and carries a minor road between Wolvercote and Wytham....
served as a form of lock, which remained in service for some time after the construction of Godstow Lock in 1790. After the lock was constructed there were complaints about the raising of the water levels and the effect this had on the meadows upstream at Pixey Mead. After some years of dilapidation, the lock underwent major repair in 1872. River users would often avoid the lock by navigating up the stream past Wolvecote. The lock house was built around 1896 on condition that it sold no refreshments to protect the interests of The Trout Inn
The Trout Inn
The Trout Inn is a well-known historic public house in Lower Wolvercote north of Oxford, close to Godstow Bridge...
. Previously the lock-keeper had lived on a houseboat. The lock was last rebuilt in 1924.
Access to the lock
The lock is a short way from Godstow Bridge and can be reached on foot from there.Reach above the lock
Beside the lock at GodstowGodstow
Godstow is a hamlet on the River Thames about northwest of the centre of Oxford. The ruins of Godstow Abbey, or Godstow Nunnery, are here.-The Abbey:...
are the ruins of Godstow Nunnery. Above the lock, the river is crossed by Godstow Bridge and the A34 Road Bridge
A34 Road Bridge
The A34 Road Bridge is a modern road bridge carrying the Oxford ring road at Oxford, England, across the River Thames. It crosses the Thames just upstream of Godstow Lock near Wolvercote on the reach to King's Lock...
carrying the Oxford By-pass. Upstream of Godstow the river becomes narrower and more winding as it passes Pixey Mead.
The Thames Path
Thames Path
The Thames Path is a National Trail, opened in 1996, following the length of the River Thames from its source near Kemble in Gloucestershire to the Thames Barrier at Charlton. It is about long....
continues on the western side to King's Lock.
Literature and the Media
In the meadows near the lock an Oxford mathematics tutor Charles Dodgson used to have picnics with his friend Dean Henry LiddellHenry Liddell
Henry George Liddell was Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, dean of Christ Church, Oxford, headmaster of Westminster School , author of A History of Rome , and co-author of the monumental work A Greek-English Lexicon, which is still used by students of Greek...
and his daughters Lorina, Alice
Alice Liddell
Alice Pleasance Liddell , known for most of her adult life by her married name, Alice Hargreaves, inspired the children's classic Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, whose protagonist Alice is said to be named after her.-Biography:...
and Edith. Here he made up a story
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures...
which began
- Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank and having nothing to do..... when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her..
External links
- Godstow Lock at riverthames.co.uk
- Picture of Godstow Lock at geograph.org.uk